Measurement Error in Research on Human Resources and Firm Performance: Additional Data and Suggestions for Future Research

Gerhart and colleagues and Huselid and Becker recently debated the presence and implications of measurement error in measures of human resource practices. This paper presents data from three more studies, one of large organizations from different industries at the corporate level, one from commercial banks, and the other of autonomous business units at the level of the job. Results of all three studies provide additional evidence that single respondent measures of HR practices contain large amounts of measurement error. Implications for future research are discussed

New evidence shows that letting people vote early benefits Republicans while Election-Day Registration helps Democrats

While Republicans tend to make it harder for people to vote through initiatives such as Voter ID requirements, Democrats tend to be in favor of measures which make voting easier, such as early and Election-Day registration. But do both measures advocated by Democrats actually have an impact on turnout? Barry Burden, David Canon, Ken Mayer and Donald Moynihan have examined vote returns across three presidential elections and find that while Election-Day registration laws are better at stimulating those who are on the fence to turn out – usually Democrats, early voting measures tend to encourage those who have already decided to vote – usually Republicans

Evaluation of the Bruker SMART X2S: crystallography for the nonspecialist?

An evaluation of the Bruker SMART X2S for the collection of crystallographic diffraction data, structure solution and refinement is carried out with a variety of materials with different electron densities, presenting some of the successes and challenges of automation in chemical crystallography

Non-disclosure of chronic kidney disease in primary care and the limits of instrumental rationality in chronic illness self-management

Early detection of long term conditions is predicated on assumptions that lifestyle changes and medications can be used to reduce or manage the risk of condition progression. However, ambiguity remains about the nature and place of diagnostic disclosure to people in newly recognised or asymptomatic ‘pre’ conditions such as early stage chronic kidney disease (CKD). The disclosure of a diagnosis is relevant to instigating strategies which rely on actively engaging patients as self-managers of their own care. Whilst primary care routinely records a diagnosis of early stage CKD, little is known about how patients learn about the fact that they have CKD or how they respond to this. This study aimed to explore patients' experiences of disclosure of CKD in primary care settings. A nested qualitative study of participants recruited to a trial of an intervention for CKD patients in Greater Manchester, UK was undertaken. A purposive sample of 26 patients, with a mean age of 72 years (range 59e89, median 71), were interviewed during 2012. Interview transcripts were analysed using constant comparative techniques. Narrative accounts reflected limited or partial disclosure of CKD; often cast in vague terms as “nothing to worry about”. How patients described themselves in terms of participation and their tendencies towards ‘active’ or ‘passive’ involvement in consultations emerged as important components of narratives around disclosure. The findings illuminate the ways in which diagnosis is oriented in a context where it is possible to meet the requirements for remuneration under a pay for performance system of primary care, whilst apparently not disclosing a label or a diagnosis to patients. This challenges the presumptions inherent in wider health policy objectives that are increasingly built on the notion of responsible patients and the ethos of the active support of self-management for pre-conditions

Perfusion by Arterial Spin Labelling following Single Dose Tadalafil in Small Vessel Disease (PASTIS): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background Cerebral small vessel disease is a common cause of vascular cognitive impairment in older people, with no licensed treatment. Cerebral blood flow is reduced in small vessel disease. Tadalafil is a widely prescribed phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor that increases blood flow in other vascular territories. The aim of this trial is to test the hypothesis that tadalafil increases cerebral blood flow in older people with small vessel disease. Methods/design Perfusion by Arterial Spin labelling following Single dose Tadalafil In Small vessel disease (PASTIS) is a phase II randomised double-blind crossover trial. In two visits, 7-30 days apart, participants undergo arterial spin labelling to measure cerebral blood flow and a battery of cognitive tests, pre- and post-dosing with oral tadalafil (20 mg) or placebo. Sample size: 54 participants are required to detect a 15% increase in cerebral blood flow in subcortical white matter (p < 0.05, 90% power). Primary outcomes are cerebral blood flow in subcortical white matter and deep grey nuclei. Secondary outcomes are cortical grey matter cerebral blood flow and performance on cognitive tests (reaction time, information processing speed, digit span forwards and backwards, semantic fluency). Discussion Recruitment started on 4th September 2015 and 36 participants have completed to date (19th April 2017). No serious adverse events have occurred. All participants have been recruited from one centre, St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Trial registration European Union Clinical Trials Register: EudraCT number 2015-001235-20. Registered on 13 May 2015

Teaching Access, or Freedom of Information Law

Based on the author\u27s experience developing and administering the course and materials, this article provides an introduction and resources to teach a graduate journalism or professional law school course on access to government, commonly called freedom of information law , which may be constructed as a capstone course in law school. The appendices provide supporting material and references

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Before 5 Family Centre and Community Academic Research Links, UCC

Before 5 were interested in exploring the current relevance of their service to families and community members in Churchfield, and to plan the future direction of their work. Before 5 wanted to create an exploratory space to collaborate with past and current users of their service to: a) discuss what the Before 5 service has contributed to Churchfield; b) to reimagine Before 5’s place and mission within the community; c) to generate new ideas for strengthening the services of Before 5, and d) to create a strong, active community of local past and current members interested in pursuing new ideas. This report is a short summary of the participatory research scoping and research design process that occurred throughout this partnership. Ethical approval was provided by the Social Research Ethics Committee at University College Cork

Stem cells of ependymoma

Ependymomas are tumours that arise throughout the central nervous system. Little is known regarding the aberrant cellular and molecular processes that generate these tumours. This lack of knowledge has hampered efforts to reduce the significant mortality and morbidity that are associated with ependymoma. Here, we review recent data that suggest that radial glia are cells of origin of ependymoma, and discuss the processes that might transform these neural progenitors into ependymoma cancer stem cells